WASHINGTON (October 24, 2006) – Tom Toles, The Washington Post's syndicated editorial cartoonist, will receive The Wilderness Society’s Aldo Leopold Award for Distinguished Editorial Writing Thursday night during a reception at the organization’s headquarters.

The Wilderness Society presents the Aldo Leopold Award annually to an editorial writer who has produced editorials forcefully making the case for protecting America’s remaining wildlands. Toles is the first cartoonist to receive the honor. The award is named for the author of A Sand County Almanac, one of the seminal works in the literature of conservation. Leopold, who wrote a number of influential books and essays, was a founder of The Wilderness Society in 1935.

“The power of a Tom Toles cartoon, seen across the country, is hard to overestimate,” said Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows. “At times, environmental issues tip over into the absurd, and they are often complex. A Tom Toles cartoon shows at a glance where the heart of an issue lies. He has creatively illustrated a conservation message on a range of topics, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, forest roadless areas, snowmobile use at Yellowstone, endangered species, energy policy, and the rush to log national forests after fires.”

Born in Buffalo, Toles has been the cartoonist for The Buffalo Courier-Express, The Buffalo News, The New Republic, The New York Daily News, and U.S. News & World Report. In 2002, he was hired by the Post, and via Universal Press Syndicate, Toles’ work is seen in more than 200 papers world-wide. His many awards include the Pulitzer Prize (1990), the National Cartoonist Society Editorial Cartoon Award (2003), and Global Media Award (for environmental cartoons). Six collections of his cartoons have been published, and he is the author and illustrator of a children’s book titled My School is Worse Than Yours. Toles is married to Gretchen Saarnijoki, a parks-preservation activist. The recipient of the Leopold Award can have a $1,000 Wilderness Society grant directed to the nonprofit of his choice, and Toles selected the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Toles. “I have always cared about environmental protection, and I have become increasingly concerned that current policies are short-sighted and constitute a growing environmental debt being dropped on our children and grandchildren. I am grateful to have an opportunity to contribute to that debate.”

Toles is the ninth recipient of the Leopold Award, following Ron Meador of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Don MacGillis of the Boston Globe, John Diaz of the San Francisco Chronicle, Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Constitution, Penelope Purdy of the Denver Post, Gary Moseman of the Great Falls Tribune, Robb Brady of the Idaho Falls Post-Register, and Martha Ezzard of the Atlanta Journal.

The Wilderness Society, which has more than 300,000 members and supporters, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of wilderness and wildlife through public education, scientific analysis, and advocacy. Its goal is to ensure that future generations can enjoy the clean air and water, beauty, wildlife, and opportunity for spiritual renewal provided by the pristine forests, rivers, deserts, and mountains owned by all Americans.